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"Where the bloody hell are you?" That's the question that a controversial Australian tourism commercial broadcast to the world in an effort to entice more overseas guests to visit the land downunder.
After Australia's domestic spy agency ASIO deemed US ciizen Scott Parkin a threat to Australia's national security in September 2005, the answer could well have been "in a bloody jail cell"
Scott's detention and forced removal sparked a storm of protest across Australia. But more then eighteen months later, a host of unanswered questions remain.
How was Scott deemed a "politically motivated violence" threat when the head of ASIO says he wasn't involved in violence in Australia? If there was no overseas influence on ASIO's treatment of Scott, why did they conduct a security assessment when he first applied for his holiday visa? And why was he detained days after organising a small protest outside the headquarters of controversial military contractor KBR?
Australia's Attorney-General, Phillip Ruddock, lowered a cone of silence on the Parkin affair when he refused to explain what the avowedly nonviolent peace activist was supposed to have said or done to warrant an adverse security assessment.
Now, in the absence of any explanation from the Australian Government, a group of Scott's Australian friends have prepared their own "security assessment", based on twenty-six sworn statements describing Scott's activities in Australia. And unlike ASIO's assessment, it's available to all and open to scrutiny.
Australian citizens have responded to Mr Ruddock's secrecy by preparing their own "security assessment" of Scott.
Where the Bloody Hell Are You? provides a detailed chronology of Scott Parkin's activities in Australia.
Drawing on evidence presented in twenty-six statutory declarations, written by people who attended Scott's talks and workshops, the report concludes that there is no evidence to support the suggestion that Scott advocated violence in any form.
Here's a sample of what people had to say about Scott:
In his workshops, Scott made it abundantly clear that he was strongly opposed to violence. In fact I think it would be fair to say that the core message of his workshops was how to achieve positive social change without using violence - and providing a range of other tools to use.
Julia Winefield, St Peters, SA
I was deeply impressed by Scott's deep understanding of, and committment to, the necessity of peace and environmental campaigns being grounded in a good understanding of the dynamics of nonviolent social change activism.
Robert Burton, Cook, ACT
I recall having a conversation with Mr Parkin about current trends in political debate around the world regarding disarmament, the state of peace and disarmament movements in the USA and Australia, and parliamentary democracy in general. At no time on the above occasion, or at any other time, did I hear or see Mr Parkin engage in or advocate violence in any form, or give me any reason to suspect that he would support violent actions.
Senator Andrew Bartlett, Canberra, ACT
At no stage did Scott every incite violence, political or otherwise. If that were his agenda he would not have recieved my personal support or friendship.
Belinda Towns, Brunswick, VIC
Where the Bloody Hell Are You? A report on the Australian Government's detention and forced removal of US Citizen Scott Parkin